The Forest Moon of Endor - Day 12

NOTE: It seems as if we are falling behind with the blog, but the truth is we have written an entry for every day (currently in draft form, hidden from view).  The pictures take forever to upload especially if we are at a hotel.  In the mean time just keep checking back, I may post them without pictures until we are somewhere more secure. Thanks!


This was our last day in the San Francisco area. Sad. But we are moving on to our next adventure. Now let's recap our day. 

Muir Woods is a National Park north of San Francisco and, this is the important part, it was used some for filming on the movie The Return Of the Jedi.

It is a lush forest with Coastal Redwoods that are completely different than anything we have on the east coast. We arrived bright and early because the parking area is small and once it fills you have to park on the street, sometimes as far as 2 miles away!

This place was serene and peaceful, especially because we were so early that the crowds were really nonexistent.  We strolled down a trail that took us by some of the biggest trees I have ever seen.

After about a mile in it looped around and went up the mountain so you were about 50 feet or higher up as you came back. Even then the trees were still huge!  

Once we finished our hike, we wanted to stop in the gift shop/cafe, but before we got into the door we saw a crested Bluejay and some fun chipmunks! 

We did some shopping and had an early lunch in the cafe.  Next, we headed to the Pacific. It was a cold and rainy day so we didn't get into the ocean but we did go down and see it. The sand is so much different than the sand on the east coast.

After the beach we went to see where Skywalker Ranch was in Marin County. We were staying just 15 minutes away, which was crazy. Unfortunately they aren't open to the public.  But being a huge fan, I had to stop and visit.

After, we went back to the house for some relaxation. We have been going nonstop and it was beginning to catch up with us. Kim napped and I just relaxed and worked some on the blog. 

When Lisa and Kim came home from work, we all took a ride out to Yountville, which is in the heart of Napa Valley. We went to a great restaurant called Redd Wood and had pizza, wings, and apps. It was a wood burning stove and the pizza was delicious.

For dessert we went down the street to a very fancy restaurant called Bouchon. Kim felt very out of place because we were a bit under dressed. The dessert was outstandingly though!

It was getting late and we had a longish drive to get back to the house, so we headed out. Once we were back at the house we hit the sack for our long drive to San Diego the next morning. 

-Paul and Kim